Black River Orchard - Chuck Wendig

-

 



In the small Pennsylvania town of Harrow, something sinister is stirring in Dan Paxson's apple orchard. With autumn upon him, Dan more than ever needs an apple harvest that will set him apart from other farmers; one that'll get him out from underneath the overdue bills and the looming cost of Calla's college tuition. 

Almost like magic, an apple so red it's nearly black appears on Dan Paxson's apple trees. As the town slowly but surely gives the "Ruby Slipper" apple a try, something dark begins to surface within it. People are changing in Harrow, something lurks within the orchard. You see, these are far from ordinary apples--these apples will make you different. 

Chuck Wendig has an uncanny ability to deliver a horror novel unlike anything I've ever read: first with his epic masterpiece "Wanderers" then later with the fall book of the season "The Book of Accidents." Not unlike its predecessors, "Black River Orchard" makes a strong first impression with atmosphere alone; Wendig's descriptions and character formations are second to none. Instantly, you find yourself dropped into a Bucks County, Pennsylvania apple orchard in the heart of harvest season. "Black River Orchard" steadily marches toward a descent into utter madness; it is a dreadful, horrifying, "Salem's Lot"-like story of a small town taken over by something dark, something so much greater than themselves. 

Perhaps more than Wendig's other novels, "Black River Orchard" truly "goes there." The end is a culmination of hysteria and visceral horror--I was completely engrossed in the story despite its ridiculousness. But because the story is so brilliantly-crafted, even then absurd pieces worked. Without a doubt the horror book of the fall, "Black River Orchard" will have you never looking at an apple the same way again.

Rating: 5 stars
Publication Details: Out 9/26/2023, Random House Publishing

*Many thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my advanced copy of this title!*


Popular posts from this blog

Let Him In - William Friend

-
Image
  In the wake of his wife Pippa's death, Alfie is doing everything he can to make life carry on as normal for their twin girls Sylvie and Cassia. Tucked away in their family home of Hart House in London, there isn't much to break the monotony of grief or to fill the Pippa-shaped void now left in their lives. Before long, Sylvie and Cassia struggle to sleep. "Daddy, there's a man in our room," they say. What Alfie dismisses initially as the girls harmlessly processing their loss through the form of an imaginary friend soon becomes something more unsettling. "Daddy, he said he's going to take us away," the girls report pleasantly. Black Mamba, he's called. He wants a seat at the dinner table, he protects the girls at night. He whispers things to them. Things that grow darker in the night. As the days pass, it's clear that something sinister walks the halls of Hart House. Cassia and Sylvie become silhouettes of their former, vibrant selves
Read more

Dreaming of Water - A.J. Banner

-
Image
  Seventeen years ago, the coastal town of Heron Bay, Washington, was wrecked by tragedy. While her parents and others in the community indulged in one of the season's many parties, young Nina Johansen vanished and drowned--in a reflecting pool at the edge of the property.  Nearly two decades later, Astrid has yet to fill the void left by her younger sister's mysterious death. When an unexpected and cryptic call from her Aunt Maude summons her back to Heron Bay after all this time, it becomes clear to Astrid that the truth of that night seventeen years ago refuses to stay buried. And the secrets of Nina's death are closer than she realizes.  "Dreaming of Water" is an absolutely gorgeously-written story of mystery, loss, and suspense. Similar to "In Another Light," Banner's writing is descriptive, transportive, and maintains an impressive veil of intrigue over the entire story without sacrificing pacing or plot details. To reveal too many more details
Read more

Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance - Alison Espach

-
Image
Best described as a dark coming-of-age novel, "Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance" is as thought-provoking as it is poignant. Like many coming-of-age stories, it's much more character-driven than plot-driven, though there is still very much a central plot to the story.   For readers looking for a missing-persons thriller, be not deceived by this (still perfect, if you ask me) title, because this is not that. This is a commentary on grief, and one that's so beautifully done. Our main character unexpectedly loses her sister, and consequently is forced to grow up and navigate life without her at the epicenter of a normal family sliding into dysfunction and disconnection as a result of their very different journeys through grief.  Espach's prose is deeply-moving and darkly-funny; this book is a free-fall into the introspective teenage mind of Sally Holt and what the gaping absence of her sister Kathy means for her life, past, present, and future. If you are someone go
Read more